The Problem of Homelessness in America

People experiencing homelessness in America live in a wide range of circumstances, and their experiences are often different depending on the place they call home. Generally, however, people experience homelessness because they cannot afford to pay their rent or mortgage. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including a lack of affordable housing, job loss, or an illness that prevents them from working. Other factors that may contribute to homelessness include discriminatory housing practices, incarceration and high unemployment rates. Some people are forced to move out of their homes because of these issues, and some end up becoming homeless.

While the term homeless has long been used without controversy, many advocates and style guides now prefer alternative words like unhoused, houseless, or unsheltered. However, these terms can have negative connotations, and may stigmatize those who use them. Moreover, they can mask the fact that people who are houseless or unsheltered still lack stable and permanent housing.

In addition, they also might have to share a room or space with others to make ends meet, which can be an uncomfortable and insecure situation. Nevertheless, these alternatives do not mean that homelessness isn’t still a problem, and it is important to understand the scope of the problem in order to advocate for changes.

Since the early 1980s, an extensive body of literature on homelessness has emerged in the United States. Some authors describe homelessness impressionistically, while others conduct substantial surveys and analysis to better understand the characteristics of people who experience it.

Despite the extensive literature on homelessness, there are some gaps in our knowledge of this issue. For example, most studies have been conducted in urban areas and very little is known about homelessness in suburban or rural communities. A similar paucity of information exists on some subpopulations, such as family members of service members and individuals with mental illness or substance abuse problems.

Another gap is in our understanding of the root causes of homelessness. Although a number of factors contribute to it, the most significant is that far too few people have enough income from their jobs to pay for an adequate standard of living. For this reason, the solution to homelessness must start with ensuring that people have access to affordable housing.

The federal government addresses homelessness by regulating the types of housing that people can live in and setting funding goals for programs to help those experiencing it. It also sets policy priorities for the federal agencies that have a role to play in homelessness prevention, response and recovery, and oversees the work of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, an independent executive branch body.